"That would make it sort of a Wee Willie Winkle-type scene," said Donner. "There's humor in the film," said Donner, "but you don't laugh at Scrooge." So, when it comes time in the film for a ghost to visit Scrooge in the middle of the night, he doesn't find a funny old man in a night shirt. Scott and Donner agreed from the start that Scrooge was not one to be laughed at. The result of their collaboration - a new version of the Christmas classic - airs Monday at 8 on CBS. And then he uses his technique - voice, body, makeup - to express them." He's a maverick, a hell- raiser and an independent man - that's his image, and it's true. Patton, was in North Carolina doing another film. Scott, who won an Oscar in 1970 for his unforgettable portrayal of Gen. "Once the possibility of doing 'A Christmas Carol' came up and we talked casting, I thought George was the first choice," said Donner. He's anything but the spidery weirdo he's often made to seem.Īnd whom do we know who's got a tougher and harder screen persona than George C. He's a man who's become obsessed with gain, with business. "For instance," he said, "Scrooge is thought of as a miser.
Film versions of "A Christmas Carol" and countless holiday stage renditions have tended to give the character a sugary aspect, said Donner, a flavor he does not detect at all in the original Charles Dickens story. Let me know what you think about it in the comments below and have a great day!īecome a Patron of the blog at patreon.British film director Clive Donner felt that what the world really needed was a tougher Ebenezer Scrooge. If you’re looking for a version of “A Christmas Carol” that is particularly faithful to the original story, then you can’t go wrong by watching this one. It’s only after being visited by the terrifying Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (who can only communicate with terrifying metallic shrieks), that Scrooge finally sees the error of his ways. Scott’s version of Scrooge is particularly cold and nasty in the beginning, and even after being visited by the first two Ghosts, Scrooge doesn’t seem particularly close to being redeemed. But after watching this film, I found myself really enjoying his performance. I know many famous actors have taken on the role, and given that I only know Scott best for his work in Patton, I wasn’t sure how he would do playing Scrooge.
Scott’s interpretation of Ebenezer Scrooge. To be sure, I haven’t seen a version yet that doesn’t have a scary version of this character, but this one is particularly dark. This film also, in my opinion, has the scariest incarnation of The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come that I’ve seen in a long time. All of these details have really expanded the story for me and made me love it that much more. And then when Scrooge is spending time with the Ghost of Christmas Present, I never knew he visited his nephew Fred’s home and watched them play games. For context, I should mention that the version I’m most familiar with are Mickey’s Christmas Carol and The Muppet Christmas Carol, both of which are good but they also leave out quite a bit of material as I’ve now discovered.Ī Christmas Carol includes sequences and details I never knew about before, including Ebenezer’s beloved sister Fan, and the fact that her untimely death is why Scrooge isn’t particularly fond of his nephew Fred (most versions I’ve seen omit that detail). As near as I can remember, this is the first time I’ve ever seen this particular version of the story, which is by far the most complete version of “A Christmas Carol” that I’ve seen to date. Earlier, during the holidays, I sat down and watched the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol, with George C.
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